Enjoyment Of Mathematics Research Articles

Relationships between elementary teachers' enjoyment and students' engagement across content areas and among student groups.

We explored associations among teachers' self-reported enjoyment for teaching mathematics, science, and English language arts and their students' self-reported behavioral engagement in each content area, and how these associations varied depending on student sex and socioeconomic status. Participants included 33 fourth-grade teachers and 443 students from 14 schools in the Southwestern United States. Multiple regression models with cluster robust standard errors was used. Models regressed students' content-area engagement on teachers' content-area enjoyment, controlling for students' initial engagement in that content area and other relevant covariates. Teachers' English language arts and mathematics enjoyment were each positively associated with students' engagement in each content area, and an interaction effect was detected in mathematics whereby lower socioeconomic status students with low-mathematics-enjoyment teachers reported lower mathematics engagement. Findings extend recent research highlighting teachers' emotions, and more specifically positive emotions, as factors that can be leveraged to support student learning, as well as provide more nuanced information about the contexts and student groups for whom these processes may be most relevant. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Do teachers’ beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics affect students’ motivation and enjoyment of mathematics? Examining differences between boys and girls across six countries

Mathematics teachers’ beliefs are central to mathematics teaching and student learning. Because different aspects of motivation and affect—particularly enjoyment—primarily develop within the classroom context, examining how different teachers’ beliefs may affect student outcomes in mathematics is imperative. The current study examines teachers’ beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics in connection to students’ motivation (i.e. intrinsic value, utility value and perceived competence) and enjoyment of mathematics across different settings by considering students’ mathematics achievement, gender and classroom composition (i.e. socioeconomic and behavioural). Data were collected from 3rd- and 4th-grade mathematics teachers (N = 686) and their students (N = 11,782) in six countries (i.e. Norway, Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Estonia and Serbia). A two-level structural equation modelling technique (TSEM) (i.e. student level and classroom level) with random slopes was employed to address our research questions. The results indicate that students’ intrinsic value and perceived competence positively relate to their enjoyment of mathematics in all six countries. Teachers’ beliefs about the nature and learning of mathematics moderate the within-classroom relationship between boys and girls and the motivation and enjoyment of learning mathematics in Portugal and Norway. Unlike boys, girls consistently perceive themselves as less competent in mastering mathematics, even in primary school. Classroom socioeconomic composition had a more pronounced influence on teachers’ beliefs in Sweden, Norway and Serbia. In relation to teachers’ beliefs, classroom behavioural composition was relevant in Estonia and Sweden. In Finland and Norway, classroom composition was essential to boys’ and girls’ differential motivation and enjoyment of mathematics learning.

Namibian Teachers’ Behavioural Intentions on Students’ Mathematics Learning Using Their Own Devices

Bring your own device (BYOD) policy implementation in schools worldwide has allowed students to learn subjects, including mathematics, using personal mobile devices (PMDs). PMD use has enhanced students’ mathematics enjoyment by bridging the gap between theoretical mathematics concepts and their practical applications, which makes mathematics more meaningful and leads to improved results. Nonetheless, students in Namibian basic education are not authorised to learn with PMDs in school. While students’ PMD use in school remains a topic of debate, there remains a need to investigate its impact on students’ mathematics learning and teachers’ perceptions of BYOD in mathematics classrooms. This study evaluated the perceptions and intentions of 209 Namibian mathematics teachers from the Omusati and Khomas regions regarding students’ mathematics learning using PMDs in schools. Data were collected through an online survey. A structural equation model revealed teachers’ positive intentions towards students’ use of PMDs through BYOD in learning mathematics in school. Perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEoU), and price value (PV) factors directly affected the teachers’ behavioural intentions (BI) towards students learning mathematics through BYOD. PEoU significantly affected teachers’ PU, and PV significantly affected teachers’ PEoU and PU. PU significantly mediated the relationship between PEoU and teachers’ intentions. PV significantly indirectly affected teachers’ intentions through PU. PEoU non-significantly mediated the PV and intention relationship. Practical implications are discussed, and recommendations are offered for the Namibian Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture and teacher training institutions.

Addressing the reciprocal nature of effects in teacher motivation research: A study on relations among teacher motivation, student-reported teaching, and student enjoyment and achievement

BackgroundTeacher motivation is crucial for teaching quality and student learning. Although it has been proposed that teacher motivation is reciprocally related to teaching behaviors and student outcomes, such relations have rarely been tested. Thus, the question whether teacher motivation precedes teaching behaviors and student outcomes, or vice versa, is unresolved. AimsThis study aims to examine reciprocal relations between mathematics teachers' self-efficacy for emotional support and enthusiasm for teaching, theoretically aligned student-reported teaching behaviors (student-reported emotional support and teacher enthusiasm), and students' mathematics enjoyment and achievement. SampleParticipants were 959 students and their 50 mathematics teachers who participated in at least two of three measurement occasions between the beginning of Grade 9 and the middle of Grade 10. MethodsMultilevel manifest cross-lagged panels were carried out using three waves of student and teacher data. ResultsTeacher self-efficacy predicted subsequent student-reported emotional support, whereas teacher enthusiasm positively predicted expressed enthusiasm. Teacher self-efficacy also contributed positively to subsequent student enjoyment. Student-reported emotional support positively predicted subsequent student enjoyment, and students' achievement positively predicted subsequent student-reported emotional support and expressed enthusiasm. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that teacher motivation precedes teaching behaviors and student outcomes, rather than the other way around.

Students’ perceived benefits of chess: Differences across age and gender

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in students’ perceived benefits of chess by gender and age after being exposed to chess during instruction for an entire academic year as part of a Chess in Schools initiative in a southeastern state of the United States. Data were collected during the 2017–201 8 academic year. The sample consisted of 1,286 students across elementary, middle, and high school levels. Data were collected using a retrospective pretest survey. Seven constructs of the students’ perceptions were generated (increased enjoyment of mathematics, improvement in academic self-efficacy, improvement in collaborative skills, improvement in organizational skills, enjoyment of chess, confidence in chess playing ability, and increased engagement in learning), and all had high reliability coefficients. Data were analyzed using a two-way multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that elementary students consistently tended to have higher ratings of perceived benefits than middle and high school students across all constructs. The differences between middle and high school students were low and not statistically significant.

Digital Escape Game and Students’ Learning Outcomes in Mathematics: Experience From Brunei

Educational stakeholders in Brunei are not exempted from the search for innovative instructional approaches as a tool to stem the tide of poor performance of students in mathematics. This study was designed to contribute to this national project by examining the impact of a digital escape game intervention on students’ mathematics performance and affective constructs. Using a mixed methods approach, we generated both quantitative and qualitative data from 32 secondary school students who took part in the intervention study. The comparison between the pre-test and post-test scores of students shows a substantial improvement in the performance of students with different ability levels. Further analysis of the generated interview and questionnaire data reveals that the digital escape game reinforces students’ interest in and enjoyment of mathematics, provides an avenue for students’ collaborative learning and enhances students’ communication skills while working together on mathematics tasks. These findings highlight the potential of the digital escape game in not only stemming the tide of poor performance in mathematics but also in enhancing students’ motivational and social skills. In addition to students’ positive perceptions of the digital escape game, there are some reservations about the clarity of instruction and the duration of the intervention. We discuss the implications of these findings for the teaching and learning of mathematics within and outside the Bruneian borders.

The importance of developing a metric to classify student experience in mathematics within the framework of intensive block teaching

The number of students enrolling in higher level mathematics units at high school have been in decline for a number of years. This is of particular concern when they then continue their studies within undergraduate STEM disciplines at University, leading academics to search for better methods to support mathematical instruction. The aim of this study was to investigate the development of a simple and robust tool to classify students’ mathematical capacity within a time compressed block teaching environment. One hundred and seventy-six first year students completed a survey reflecting on their level of comfort, competence, and enjoyment of mathematics, including their highest level of previous study in the discipline. Students also completed a short quiz to establish a pre-learning numeracy skill baseline. The survey provided data for development of the metric, from which, three groups ranked on their mathematical ability (low, medium and high) were identified which were then matched with scores arising from their baseline assessment. The classification grouping was uniform across all four offerings of the mathematics unit taught and matched with common baseline assessment scores. The importance of this tool shows both reliability and robustness in being able to identify students likely to have difficulty in studying undergraduate mathematics especially within the context of the time limited intensive block teaching, permitting early intervention to help students at risk of failure to succeed.

A Review of Pedagogical Approaches for Improved Engagement and Learning Outcomes in Mathematics

The traditional, lecture-based teaching approach in mathematics education has tended towards being a more standardized and passive learning environment, often failing to cater to diverse learning styles and needs. The consequence of this approach is the lack of engagement and understanding among students, a phenomenon prevalent in many classrooms worldwide. Indeed, student disengagement and a lack of critical thinking skills in mathematics are major concerns. Innovative pedagogical methodologies, such as Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), Collaborative Learning, and the Flipped Classroom Model, have emerged as potential remedies to this issue. Still, their implementation faces challenges related to teacher preparation, technology dependence, and individual motivation. Despite these challenges, these methods have demonstrated significant potential to improve student outcomes. Evidence suggests IBL fosters critical thinking, collaborative learning enhances interpersonal skills, and the flipped classroom approach promotes personalized instruction and increased engagement. Improvements in student test scores ranging from 5% to 30% have been reported across different studies employing these innovative teaching methods. These methods have profound effects despite minimal funding. Combining these strategies, tailored to cater to diverse student needs, can create an effective and efficient learning environment. It can foster a deeper understanding and enjoyment of mathematics, thereby stimulating greater engagement and overall improved learning outcomes.

Math is cool – for school? Insights into preservice teachers’ views on the mathematics discipline between an academic and a job-related focus

In academic teacher education, preservice teachers may develop complex views on their chosen scientific discipline of study, as a tension may exist between a purely academic focus and a job-related focus. This study reports quantitative data from N = 259 preservice mathematics teachers indicating their views on the mathematics discipline in four facets of task value and enjoyment of mathematics as well as in an open statement. Cluster analysis of the five quantitative variables suggests three disjunct clusters, and qualitative data support the cluster structure. Data are discussed regarding higher education and the role of discipline content in teacher education.

Spanish adaptation of the Math and Me Survey in primary education: Measuring second and fourth graders’ attitudes toward mathematics

The English version of the “Math and Me Survey” was developed to measure mathematical attitudes of elementary students. This study was used to translate, validate and examine the attitudes of Spanish students in the second and fourth grades of primary school. The translation-back translation procedure was adopted. A total of 81 students (42 boys and 39 girls), with a mean age of 8.19 years completed the Spanish survey. The psychometric properties of the adapted survey were examined by internal consistency, reliability and factorial structure. The exploratory factor analysis of the 18-item adapted questionnaire provided a two-factor structure, similar to the original questionnaire: mathematical self-concept and enjoyment of mathematics. For each factor, the Spanish survey had high internal consistency, respectively ω = .89 and ω =.91. However, the confirmatory factor analysis did not show overall good fit. The adapted survey should be interpreted with caution, suggesting a need for further investigation to be used as an effective tool for evaluating math self-concept and enjoyment in a Spanish-speaking context. In addition, the results of its application indicated that (1) second-graders had a better mathematics self-concept and enjoy mathematics more than fourth-graders, and (2) boys had a greater mathematics self-concept than girls, but girls enjoyed this subject more in second grade.

INVESTIGATION OF STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD MATHEMATICS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN SAUDI ARABIA

<p>Many students in Saudi Arabia complain that they achieve poor results in mathematics and appear to have a negative attitude toward the subject. The current study, therefore, investigates students’ attitudes towards mathematics, using a mixed method approach, in 13-16 years old students from the intermediate level of education. The age was important because this period is thought to be crucial to the formation of lasting attitudes and opinions. The first main research question, the study aims to address is therefore, “What are students’ attitudes towards mathematics in Saudi middle schools?” The study also aims to explore gender issues using a second research question, “Is there any significant gender difference in students’ attitudes towards mathematics?” The survey was conducted in two government-run middle schools in Saudi Arabia, one boys’ school and one girls’ school, because Saudi Arabia has an exclusively single-sex education system. 180 participants (90 boys and 90 girls) were asked to complete a questionnaire to show their views about mathematics. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected at the same time, but the analysis of each type of information was conducted separately to enable the full picture to be understood. T-test was used to explore any gender differences. The main findings were that both male and female students in two Saudi middle schools show a positive attitude towards mathematics, with female students being slightly more positive than males. The factors which affect attitudes towards mathematics in both genders include the usefulness of mathematics in everyday and future life and career, the teacher, enjoyment of mathematics and the difficulty of the subjects. Girls’ attitudes towards mathematics were also affected by the influence of social media personalities and internet teachers. </p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0050/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Relationship Between Female Students’ Attitude and Their Mathematics Achievement

There is a great effort in curriculum reforms in Ghana to create opportunities to close the gender gap in mathematics achievement for Senior High School (SHS) students. However, it remains unclear how female students are ready to bridge this gap in other to take-up mathematics related programs at the tertiary level. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between senior high school female students’ attitude and their mathematics achievement. The study was grounded in a pragmatic paradigm, using a sequential explanatory mixed-method design with questionnaires and interview guide as the research instruments to collect data from the respondents. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 331 female students. The findings showed that, self-confidence, <i>r =.13, n = 331 and P < 0.05 (.016 <.05)</i>, enjoyment of mathematics, <i>r =.22, n = 331 and P < 0.01 (.000 <.01),</i> and value of mathematics <i>r =.11, n = 331 and P < 0.05 (.04 <.05)</i> had a positive and significant relationship with mathematics achievement whiles motivation <i>r =.07, n = 331 and P > 0.05 (.20 >.05)</i> have no relationship with mathematics achievement. The implication of the study to teaching and learning is that teachers should use instructional strategies that would meet the needs of all female students. Teachers must also take into account students' learning differences and assist them with the counselling they need to increase the students’ motivation towards mathematics.

Enjoyment of Chinese and mathematics and school performance in Chinese children and adolescents.

This 2-year longitudinal study examined relations between enjoyment of learning in Chinese and mathematics, two major subjects in Chinese schools, and indexes of school performance. The participants included 1041 students (501 boys) initially in third, fifth, and seventh grades (mean age=10.49 years) in China. Data on enjoyment of Chinese and mathematics were collected from students' self-reports and data on school performance were collected from multiple sources in 2017 and 2019. The results showed that enjoyment of mathematics positively predicted later academic achievement, self-perceptions of academic competence, teacher-rated school competence, and peer-assessed leadership-social competence. Enjoyment of Chinese negatively predicted later mathematics achievement and self-perceptions of academic competence and nonsignificantly predicted other school performance variables. The results were discussed in Chinese context.

How Classroom Environment Influences Academic Enjoyment in Mathematics Among Chinese Middle School Students: Moderated Mediation Effect of Academic Self-Concept and Academic Achievement.

PurposeSubstantial literature has documented the influence of classroom environment on academic enjoyment. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship. Based on the control-value theory and the individual-context interaction model, a moderated mediation model was constructed in this study to further examine whether academic self-concept mediated the relation between classroom environment and enjoyment in mathematics and whether this mediating effect was moderated by academic achievement.MethodsWe recruited 750 Chinese middle school students and they completed the classroom environment, academic self-concept, and academic enjoyment questionnaires.ResultsAfter controlling for gender and grade, the results of structural equation modeling showed that academic self-concept partially mediated the association between classroom environment and enjoyment in mathematics. The mediating path from classroom environment to academic self-concept was moderated by academic achievement. Classroom environment positively predicted academic self-concept for the higher achieving students. However, the effect of classroom environment on academic self-concept was not significant for the lower achieving students.ConclusionThese findings highlight that classroom environment has a more salient impact on academic self-concept and enjoyment for higher achieving students than for lower achieving students. The study results provide guidelines for educators regarding effective interventions for fostering positive academic emotions.

Game playing and fluctuations in emotional climate

AbstractThe inclusion of games in mathematics programmes is widely believed to foster the enjoyment of mathematics. The focus of this paper is on fluctuations in emotional climate during the playing of whole-class mathematics games. A multimethod approach drawing on the sociology of emotions was employed to explore changes in the classroom emotional climate that were associated with game playing. The event-oriented inquiry was conducted with two teachers and a class of 10- to 13-year-olds in a New Zealand classroom during mathematics sessions. Over a series of eight mathematics lessons, there were three noticeable fluctuations in emotional climate, all of which occurred during whole-class games. Our analysis of these three events identified a successful interaction with dramatic emotional energy associated with a positive emotional climate, a successful interaction with undramatic emotional energy associated with positive emotional climate, and an unsuccessful interaction associated with negative emotional climate with interactional repair. The third event also illustrated how the incomplete nature of a game’s rules can provide an opportunity for a negative emotional climate to be associated with game playing. The taken-for-granted wisdom that whole-class mathematics games can enhance emotional aspects of a classroom learning environment is supported by some of our evidence.

The effect of brain-based learning on the achievement of fifth grade students in mathematics and their attitudes towards it

The aim of the current research is to identify (the effect of brain-based learning on the achievement of fifth-grade female students in mathematics and their attitudes towards it); The sample of the research consisted of (70) female students of the fifth scientific grade, and they were distributed equally into two experimental and control groups, with (35) students for each group. Lateral Thinking Test), the researcher prepared an achievement test consisting of (30) objective items of the type (multiple choice), and a measure of attitude towards mathematics consisting of (30) items with five alternatives (strongly agree, agree, disagree, disagree Strongly agree), distributed over six domains (attitude towards the nature of mathematics n direction towards the value of mathematics, towards enjoyment of mathematics, direction towards learning mathematics, direction towards mathematics school, and direction towards success in mathematics). The researcher taught the two groups, and after the experiment ended, the two tools were applied to the two research groups, and the results showed: * There is a statistically significant difference at the significance level (0.05) between the average scores of the experimental group students who studied using brain-based learning and the average scores of the control group students who studied in the traditional way in the achievement test in favor of the experimental group. * There is a statistically significant difference at the significance level (0.05) between the average scores of the experimental group students who studied using brain-based learning and the average scores of the control group students who studied in the traditional way in the measure of attitude towards mathematics in favor of the experimental group.

Retrospective look at discovery learning using the Pósa Method in three Hungarian secondary mathematics classrooms

While the Pósa Method was originally created for mathematical talent management through extracurricular activities, three "average" public secondary school classrooms in Hungary have taken part in a four-year experiment to implement the Pósa Method, which is based on guided discovery learning of mathematics. In this paper, we examine the students' and teachers' reflections on the Pósa Method, and how student perspectives have changed between their first and last year of high school. Overall, teachers and students had a positive experience with the Pósa Method. Furthermore, our research indicated that this implementation has met several objectives of the Pósa Method, including enjoyment of mathematics and autonomous thinking.&#x0D; Subject Classification: 97D40

Teacher classroom management self-efficacy: Longitudinal relations to perceived teaching behaviors and student enjoyment

This study examined the relations between teacher-reported classroom management self-efficacy, student-reported teaching quality and students’ enjoyment in mathematics. Data were collected from German ninth and tenth-grade students (N = 779) and their teachers (N = 40) at the beginning and the middle of the school year. Multilevel models showed that teachers’ self-efficacy at time 1 significantly and positively related to class-level monitoring and relatedness at time 2. Class-level relatedness at time 2 was significantly and positively associated with enjoyment at time 2. Teacher-reported self-efficacy at time 1 was indirectly related to enjoyment at time 2 through relatedness at time 2.

From Engineering School to Careers: An Examination of Occupational Intentions of Mechanical Engineering Students

This paper examines the variation in career plans among U.S. senior year mechanical engineering undergraduates. The extent to which candidates persist from engineering school into engineering careers attracts attention from hiring managers, educators, and policymakers concerned with the future of the engineering workforce. Prior research has identified patterns of systemic variation in engineering students’ persistence, finding that particular student subsets exhibit lower likelihoods of pursuing conventionally categorized engineering jobs after graduation compared to others. These groups have included students from underrepresented demographics and those with particular key skills profiles. Based on survey data from a sample of 1,061 mechanical engineering seniors across nine universities, we first constructed an occupational sorting model that replicates previously reported relationships between student-specific factors and students’ intentions to work in engineering. We then expanded this model into a new multinomial outcomes model that examines the unique sets of factors associated with specific categories of occupational intentions from an array of engineering and non-engineering options. We find factors such as internship experiences, risk aversion, mathematics enjoyment, strength of professional identity, leadership aspirations, perceptions of creative opportunities, and salary expectations to be significantly associated, in unique combinations, with various types of occupational intentions. We conclude by discussing how knowledge of factors salient to students’ occupational sorting tendencies can help engineering managers refine approaches for recruitment and job formulation, so as to potentially broaden the attractiveness of engineering jobs across the candidate pool and to improve candidate-job matching.

Becoming mathematical: Designing a curriculum for a mathematics club

Mathematics clubs are becoming increasingly researched in South Africa, yet what might constitute a curriculum for such clubs has not been discussed. We present and analyse a curriculum design for clubs that we set up and worked with over three years. The goals of the clubs were to foster strong mathematical proficiency, identities and agency among learners through supporting their enjoyment of mathematics as a useful way to make sense of the world. We therefore developed a curriculum where learners could become and be ‘mathematical’, through drawing on both their everyday reasoning and the mathematics that they learned in school. Our analysis suggests an emergent, responsive curriculum, with tasks that can be categorised as: (1) becoming mathematical with everyday tasks, (2) becoming mathematical about mathematics, (3) being mathematical and making mathematics, and (4) mathematics. We argue that through such a curriculum, we can develop mathematical reasoning on the basis of learners’ everyday reasoning in ways that support their mathematical proficiency, identities and agency.